Hosea 9

1. O Israel, rejoice not for joy, like the people, for you have gone whoring away from your God; you have loved a reward upon every grain floor.

2. The threshing floor and the winepress shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail in her.

3. They shall not dwell in the LORD’S land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean things in Assyria.

4. They shall not pour wine to the LORD, nor shall they be pleasing to Him. Their sacrifices shall be like the bread of sorrows to them; all who eat of them shall be defiled, for their bread is for their appetite, it shall not come into the house of the LORD.

5. What will you do in the solemn day, and in the day of the feast of the LORD?

6. For lo, they have left because of destruction. Egypt shall gather them up; Memphis shall bury them. Nettles shall possess the desirable things of their silver; thorns shall be in their tents.

7. The days of her judgment have come; the days of vengeance have come; Israel shall know it. The prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is insane because of the multitude of your iniquity and your great hatred.

8. The watchman of Ephraim was with my God. The prophet is a fowler’s snare in all his ways, and enmity in the house of his God.

9. They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in days of Gibeah. Therefore He will remember their iniquity; He will punish them for their sins.

10. “I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your fathers as the firstfruit in the fig tree at her first season. But they went to Baal Peor and set themselves apart to a shameful thing; and they became abominations, like the things they loved.

11. Ephraim is like a bird—their glory shall fly away from birth, and from the womb, and from conception.

12. Though they bring up their children, yet I will make them childless, without a man. Yea, woe also to them when I depart from them!

13. Ephraim, when I looked toward Tyre, was planted in a pleasant place. But Ephraim shall bring out his children to the murderer.”

14. Give them, O LORD; what will You give? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.

15. “All their wickedness is in Gilgal, for there I hated them. I will drive them out of My house for the wickedness of their doings. I will love them no more; all their rulers are revolters.

16. Ephraim is stricken; their root is dried up; they shall bear no fruit. Yea, though they bear, yet I will slay the beloved fruit of their womb.”

17. My God shall cast them away because they did not hearken to Him. And they shall be wanderers among the nations.